How the soundtrack to today’s protests against racism has roots in the blues
Rap songs from Public Enemy and Ludacris have been heard at marches over the killing of George Floyd. But the history of Black American music as a form of protest dates back to the 19th century.
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In Common’s new memoir about healing, ‘love can be an action’
Common, the award-winning musician, actor, activist, and now author, says that in a world of division and anxiety, he wanted to offer solution-oriented resources for healing that have helped him overcome trauma and tough times in his life. Common joins…
WATCH: We asked Common to freestyle about facts. Here’s what happened
The PBS NewsHour is never freewheeling with facts, but we loved it when Common came to our studio to freestyle about them.
Watch 6:56
A memoir of musical reverence to A Tribe Called Quest
Pioneering hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest crossed musical genres, influenced other artists and delivered social commentary. Their unique sound and chemistry earned them decades of commercial and critical success. A memoir by poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib reveals…
The rap trio Beastie Boys played a formative role in the evolution of American hip-hop music. They have sold millions of albums with their unique blend of rap, rock and humor, all while prioritizing their friendship above their career success.
Fan and author Jeff Gomez wrote a five-act novel that seeks to fill in the narrative gaps around the music video for the 1994 song “Sabotage.”…
Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle died Sunday after being gunned down in broad daylight in Los Angeles. In addition to his successful music career, the native of south L.A. was an entrepreneur and activist, dedicated to initiatives supporting youth and the…
At the Oakland Museum of California, a new exhibit traces decades of history of hip-hop, an industry and culture that's both mainstream and underground, global but rooted in the local. Jeffrey Brown reports.
Infectious in beat, jarring in violence and imagery, Donald Glover's new music video "This Is America" touches on painful racial history and our contemporary culture of mass entertainment and murder. Jeffrey Brown talks with Rolling Stone contributor Tre Johnson about…
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